Cotton-picker.



I. E. NBER.

COTTON PICKER.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN.31,1911,

1,020,838. Patented Mar. 19,1912.

51m/vendio@ y I. E. NBER.'

COTTON PICKER.

APPLICATION FILED 111111.31, 1911.

Patented Mal'. 19, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IRA. E. NBER, OF EDINBURG, ILLINOIS, .SSIGNOR OIF NEER, OF CUS'IER, ILLINOIS.

ONE-HALF To Fmimmrcx A.

COTTON-PICKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

vPatented Mar. 19, 1912.

Application filed January 31, 1911. Serial 110.605,699.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, IRA E. NEER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Edinburg, in the county of Christian and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Pickers, of which the following is a specification. 4

Thisv invention relates to cotton picking devices of that class in which a suction .tube or tubes `are connected with a reservoir from which the airis exhausted to produce a partial vacuum within such receptacle or reservoir; the suction tube or tubes being equipped with picking devices which may be applied to the cotton boll, the atmospheric pressure causing the cotton to become detached and to be conveyed through the tube to the reservoir within which a bag may be suspended to receive the cotton.

The present invention has for its object to provide the picking implement with a valve which normallyobstructs thepassage of air through the suction tube, but which when the picking implement is held in position adjacent to a cotton boll may be quickly and easily moved toa non-obstructing position, causing a sudden inrush of air, whereby the cotton will' be quickly andv completely detached and carried through the suction tube into the receptacle. 1

A' further object of the invention is to provide simple and improved actuating means for the obstructing valve, whereby said valve may be actuated exactly at the proper'time, and whereby it may be quickly restored to an obstructing position without material effort on the part of the operator.

With these and other-ends in View which will readily appearas .the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a sim le and preferred form of theinvention, it eing,'however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,

but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings,Figure l is. sectional elevation of a cotton picking machine. constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of one of the picking implements attached tothe end of one of the suction tubes. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the valve operating means associated with the picking implement, showing a slighta4 larger scale ott modification. Fig. 4 is a sectional View, en n lai-ged, of the v alved end of the picking implement. Fig. 5 is a perspective detailview of the valved end of the picking implement. Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference. The improved machine includes a vehicle comprising a truck or platform 1 supported'fA upon front and rear wheels 2 and 3 and ycarrying a motor 4 which maybe utilized for driving or propelling the vehicle, suitable means being provided for transmitting motion from said motor to the rear Wheels.

The motor may also be utilized for actuating an air exhausting device, suoli as a suitably constructed air pump 5, which is connected by an exhaust pipe 6 with a casing or reservoir .7 from" which the air may thus be exh hausted to create within said casing or reservoir a partial vacuum. \The casing 7 hasbeen shown as being provided with a tightly fitting detachable lid or cover 8 having means such as a projection with a flange 9 upon which a' receptacle, such asa bag 10, may be supported.` A plurality of exible suction tubes 11 are provided, each of said tubes being connected at one end with the lid of the casing or reservoir above the bag or receptacle l0, and each of saidtubes carrying at its opposite end' a tubularV picking implement 12.

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The picking implement12 vconsists of a i tube, 4made of metal, or other rigid material, and provided at one end with a downturned bell-shaped mouth piece 13 which may be vdetachably connectedtherewith by a threaded or other suitable connection 14. The tube 12 is provided adjacent to the mouth piece with a projection 15 constituting a guide for a valve 16 whereby the tube'12 may be obstructed. In the form of the invention rep.- resented in the drawings, the valve 16 is, shown as consisting of an arcuate'slide valve having an arm 17- which is pivotally connected .with the tube 12 by means of Ia pin 18 the axis of which is'concentric with the arc of the valve; It is obvious that when the arm 17` swings upon the pivotv18 the valve 16 may be moved to an obstructixmr or il i;

'i thereby establishing in front bein'g i rectan ynl 5 i i' toA ainon-obstructlng position with reference The latter has been shown as Y to the tube.v

rnvided with an enlargement 19 of lar cross section, the side walls of said enla?, gement being provided with arcuate grottes 20 wherein the arcuate valve member' is guided, but it is desired to be distinctly understood that a valve of any type controll'ng the :entrance et air may be used at will; 1

Suitabiy attached to or connected with the picking implement 12 is a casing 21 comprising -a cylinder 22 and a valve box 23, the latter being in communication with the interior of the tubular picking implement 12 through a port `211, and with the atmosphere through the ends et lthe box, which are open. Ports 25, 2G are also provided to connect the front and rear ends Vof the cyl` inder 22 with the corresponding ends ot the valve boX'23. The cylinder 22 contains a piston 27 having a stem 28 which is terminally connected with the slide valve 1G which may thereby be actuated. The valve chamber 23 contains a valve V comprising a stem 29 having heads 30, 31 adapted to alternately obstruct the ports 25, 26. The valve V is connected by a link 32 with a pivotally supported cam member 33 adapted to be actuated by a trigger 34 having a pivoted tongue 35 adapted to engage a shoulder 36 of said cam member. .The latter is engaged by a spring 37 whereby it may be retained in adjusted position` and a spring 38 may also be provided,-as seen in Fig. 3, to restore the trigger to normal posit-ion after being actuated to operate the cam A pistol grip 39 is provided in suitable proximity to the trigger, saidgrip being adapted to be grasped by the operator, and a trigger guard 40 is also provided.

l The tension ot the spring 37 is exerted to normally move the valve V in a forward crrection. thus establishing communication through the ports 25 and 24 between the forward end ot the cylinder 22 and the suction tube connected with the implement 12` of the pistor 27 a partial vacuum7 causing said piston to be forced forward, thereby actuating the valve 16 to place said valve in obstructing position with reference to the implement 'l2 and the suction tube with which said implement is connected. liv pressing the trigger 34. the cam member 33 will be partiailv rotated, thereby shitting the position of the valve V, and thus lestablishing communication through the ports 2G and 24 between the rear ends ot' the cylinder 22 and the suction tube. By the resultant action the piston 27 -will be quickly moved in a rearward direction` thereby actuating the valve 1G to move the latter to a non-obstructing position with reference to the suction tube. 'When presvsure upon the trigger is carried past a eeri implement 12 may be very rend 'f jrasps the grip or handle t forefinger upon the trigger.

tain point the pivoted tongue 35 is disen- 'aged from the shoulder 36 of thelcam 33 which latter willl bel instantly restbred to the initial positioni )y the actionl et the spring 37 or 37, the case may be.; thus likewise restoringto its initial-position the valve V and estabI ishingi communication between the front end of the cylinde1i`22 and thesuction tube through the ports24, 25.

The pistons 27 will thus be antituated in a forward direction/'to more thegtvalve 16 to an obstructing position with ilieference to the suction tube. It will be ofserved that this cycle of operations resul"i.ng in the4 rapid opening and closing of til e vlalve 16 will be edected while the Jtriggr 34 is being moved in one direction ly pressurethereon by the finger ot' tlie operador', continued pressure in one direetionilbeing eii'ective to disengage the tongue 315 -ijcm the y After titre cycle et operations has been con'ipletitid, iivessure upon the trigger 34 may be rcleas tl, and the latter will then be restored to itil linitial position by tlie action of the sprillot 381 It will be seen .from the `ioiieg ng description, taken in connectioili wth thev drawings hereto annexed, thathe icking deonwho idees his 1e icling implement may thus be pointed lke pistol in the direct-ion of the cotton tl at td-be picked. Vhen the bell-shapct inti'athi or veniently grasped by thelopeirat nozzle 13 is in suitable proximiti to 'ne iottcn, the trigger is pressed,.thus :anfing lthe valve 1G to be moved to a nontobsiituct ng position which is followed pyl at suda en inrush of air at high pressu e,' where ,yt the cotton is detached and cariiee 'lhroi' h hel suctiontube into the receptiicle protiilde to contain it. immediately followitng tl l1| p Jking of the cotton from the bollyivitliloutre; leasing the pressure upon the trigger, khe

tion where it is retained, thus mainttii ing a partial vacumn ot a high de ree w' picking implement is pointe towa 'd another cotton boll. ,By the lished in the tubell, the cot on is' `arried to the casing or reservoir 7 u here itis discharged into the bag or recep acle 10, which latter also constitutes a strainer, whereby parts ot the cotton, twigs, lea 'es or the like which may accidentally pass into the receptacle along with the cotton 1re prevented vtrom entering the air pump (r exhaust apparatus. I

The construction ot this improved picking apparatus, as will be seen from the foregoing, is simple. The Vimproved pic-king implements may be readily applied to and used in connection with the various forms of suction apparatus, thus increasing valve 1G is restored to an obstructiii pnsr,

their suction force and applying thesame suddenlyyand the device has been found tobe thoroughly eiiicient for the purposes for which .it is provided.

The pistol grip 39 witlrwhich the device is provided and whereby it is manipulated is found to be particularly convenient in enabling the operator to .hold the device securely and to present it properly to the plants in the, act of picking the cotton.

Said pistol grip enables the operator to hold and to manipulate the device with one hand, the first inger being placed upon the trigger, a rapid pressure upon which is all that is needed in `order to operate the mechanism whereby the inlet valve is moved to a non-obstructing position; the cotton is detached, andthe valve is restored to yan obstructing' .position The spring 37 whereby the cam 33 is ac tuated may be accommodated within the pistol grip of the device, as shown in Fig.l

2, or in one end of the valve box, as shown in Fig. y3, wherel said spring is specially designated 37. The picking implement may be provided with a handle member 4-1 L adapted to be grasped by the'left hand of a rod connected with the 'obstruct/in -the operator, as will be seen in Fig. 2, said handle member being also longitudinally apertured, as shown at 4.2, to constitute a guide for the pistol stem or rod 28. Additional or auxiliary guide means for said stem may also be provided, as shown at 43. Having thus described the invent-ion,what is claimed as new', is

1. In a cotton picker, a tubular picking sitioned in front of the pistol .grip constituting the handle.

2. In a cotton picker, a picking implement comprising a tubular member, a suit- `ably guided slide valve adapted to obstruct the passage therethrough, means for seh,

ting up suction in such tubular member behind the valve, a cylinder communicating with the tubular member, a iston in said cylinder, connecting means etween said piston and the slide valve, a valveto obstruct communication .between one end of the cylinder and :the suction means, and means for actuating the last mentioned valve, said means including a spring actuated cam and a trigger having a tongue engaging the cam.

3.'In` 'a cotton picker, a picking implement comprising a tube, a valve adapted to obstruct the passage therethrough, a cylinder, a piston operating in said cylinder. `7and connected with the valve to actuate the' lat-ter, ports connecting the cylinder with the tubular picking4 member, means for set'- ting upv suction in the tubular member behind the valve, a valve coperating with the ports to obstruct communication between .one end of the cylinder and the suction means, and means for actuating said valve including a yspring actuated cam and va 4trigger havingia tongue engaging the .4, Iiia"`cotton picker, a picking implementco iprisingn tubular member, a suitably guided valve aldapted to obstruct the passage therethrough, means for setting'up suction in the tubulfanmember behind the valve, al cylinder communicating with the .tubular member, a piston in said cylinder,

a pistondrod connecting said piston with 4 the valfve, a handle upon the tubular member, said handle being longitudinali apertured to provide guiding means or the piston rod, and valve means to obstruct communication between one end of the cylinder andthe suction means. y

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signa-l ture in presence of two witnesses.

l v IRA E. NEER.

IVitnesses: T. B. Winnaars, L. E. Swrsnnr. 

